Portable shelter



March 15, 1960 w. LAWSON PORTABLE SHELTER Filed April 4, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l Wanda/l L. Lawson v INVENTOR.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 4, 1957 Fig.3

Wanda L Lawson INVENTOR. BY M MW,

PORTABLE SHELTER Wendall L. Lawson, Hartford, Conn., assignor of forty percent to Richard A. Choura, Hartford, Conn.

Application April 4, 1957, Serial No. 650,745

1 Claim. (Cl. 135-5) This invention comprises a novel and useful portable shelter and particularly relates to an easily erected and collapsed canopy or covering adapted for use to protect against sun, rain or snow, and ideally suitable for use as a beach shade, picnic shelter, tent lean-to, patio shade, shade for childrens play pen, portable bathing pool, baby carriage and the like, a shade for boat fishing and a carport for extended trips.

The primary purpose of this invention is to provide a portable collapsible shelter which shall be of lightweight, economical in construction, can be compactly folded into a very small compass when not in use, and yet may be erected in various desired manners to provide different types of canopies or shades, and when so erected will be secure in its operative position.

A still further important object of the invention is to provide a device as set forth in the foregoing object which can be readily fabricated from inexpensive readily available elements.

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' now to Figure 3 in particular it will be seen that each of the supporting posts consists of concentric axially slidable and extensible-outer and inner tubes 14 and 16 respectively, each of which is, provided with a longitudinally spaced series of registerable apertures 18 and 20 respectively. By means of suitable brass pins such as that indicated at 22 in Figure 2, aligned apertures 20 and 18 may receive a fastening pin 22 and thus quickly but releasably secure the telescoping sections of the support posts in the desired axially extended position.

Each of the support posts is provided with a mounting base in the form of a circular plate 24 having an upstanding apertured tubular neck portion or sleeve 26 which is adapted to receive a brass pin 28 by which the lower end of the outer section 14 may be detachably secured to this base. The base assembly may be suitably apertured as at 30 for the reception of anchor ring pins 32 by which the base may be secured to the ground or other surface to thereby hold the support posts securing in its erected position.

The canopy or cover 12 consists of a sheet of pliable material which is canvas or the like and about its periphery is provided with a plurality of metal eyelets 34 in spaced position. The eyelets are adapted to be selectively and releasably secured as by a conventional form of split fastening ring 36 in an aperture 38 of the pin 22 which is disposed at the upper end of, or in a convenient position upon the inner section 16.

By this arrangement, the entire cover or canopy 12 may be extended to form a flat covering as shown in Figure 1 to thus use'the maximum area of the sheet 12 as a covering or shade to protect the users from the sun,

A still further important object of the invention is to I provide a device which can be quickly and easily erected or collapsed as desired with a minimum of time and by very inexperienced and unskilled labor.

These togetner with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently'apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one manner in which the portable shelter of this invention may be erected to form a canopy or shade;

Figure 2 is a detailed view taken upon an enlarged scale substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 2-2 of Figure 1 and showing a detail of the structure by which the canopy or roof element is secured to one of the supporting posts of the device;

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken upon an enlarged scale substantially upon the plane indicated by section line 3-3 of Figure l and showing in particular the arrangement of the longitudinally extensible and collapsible supports of the device and the manner for securing the same in a stable anchored position upon the ground;

Figure 4 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 but showing a further manner in which the device may be employed;

Figure 5 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 but showing still another manner in which the device may be utilized as a lean-to; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 but showing yet another manner in which the device may be employed as a shade or protection.

Referring first to Figure 1 it will be seen that the portable shelter consists of a plurality of supporting posts each indicated generally by the numeral 10 together with a cover 12 in the form of a canopy of canvas or any other suitable weatherproof pliable material. Referring rain, snow or the like.

However, the structure previously set forth is capable of a number of other uses. Thus, as shown in Figure 4, one end and an intermediate portion of the cover may be secured to the four support posts 10, while another end portion 40 may be folded down about a pair of sup port posts and may be secured thereto as shown. In this form, the article provides not only a roof or canopy portion but also a vertical portion 40which may function as a sun shade and the like.

In the arrangement of Figure 5, the canopy 12 may be supported in an inclined position with one end of the canopy secured to the top of the tubular support post, while the other end of the same is secured to the bottom portion of the other pair of support posts. Thus a leanto or windbreak is provided. I

Finally, as shown in Figure 6, the canopy 12 may be disposed solely in a vertical position between a pair of support posts to thus constitute a windbreak, or a shade against the sun when the rays of the latter are low on the horizon.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A portable collapsible shelter comprising a top consisting of a sheet of pliable weatherproof material having eyelets disposed in spaced relation about its rim, a plurality of longitudinally extensible corner posts for said top, said corner posts being disposed outwardly of the rim of said top, said corner posts each having a diametrically extending bore in its upper portion, a headed pin slidably received in each bore, each pin having its, head at one end and an aperture in its other end, a split ring engaged in said aperture in its other end and in one PatentediMar. 15, 1960 3 o eyelets, in said headed pin and the assnciatcd, eyelet of the, top which is. fastened thereto having parallel axes wherehy said ring secures said top' to said post for free swiveling movement in the plane of said mnh I i. I I Refix ns zit da hefii iis t V STATES: PATENTS V s..,.l r V V jun'a- V Raggis Oct. 16, 1923 Waltz Aug 9, 1m Marshall et al Nov. 24, 1953 Kramer Jan. 15, 1957 FOREI N PATENTS France Jan. 14, 1926 

